Will the carbon output of a growing world economy transform the oceans into an environment that — thanks to basic chemistry — is hostile to Alaska’s famed salmon? Or will Alaskans find ways to mitigate the expected drop in ocean pH?

Ocean acidification coincides with certain mass extinction events in the past, according to Jeremy Mathis, professor of chemical oceanography at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Fishers, shellfish grower and harvesters and non-profit organizations have met at recent roundtable meetings to discuss ocean acidification in Alaska.

A subcommittee of the House Finance Committee began review of Alaska’s current incentive program to entice the film industry to the state.

The subcommittee for Senate Bill 23 met Thursday morning to review the film tax credit bill sponsored by Sen. Johnny Ellis, D-Anchorage. The bill aims to extend the current Alaska Film Production Incentive Program.

The House Finance Committee, co-chaired by Reps. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak and Bill Thomas, R-Haines, held the bill on Feb. 23 and referred it to a subcommittee.

The bills, originally introduced in February, drew a sharp response from Alaska’s Sen. Mark Begich.

The $40 billion plan was covered by Financial Times reporter Ed Crooks on Wednesday (on.ft.com/GF4pMJ). Markey released an announcement the same day in which he “decried the plans” to allow export of “American natural gas to China.”

Rural business owners and home energy customers testified in favor of proposed changes to the Power Cost Equalization program that would make businesses eligible for cost savings and increase the residential equalization by 100kWh per month. However, equalizing the cost of current power sources is only a stop-gap they said.

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration undercover investigation led to the fining of local Asian cuisine restaurant owners $18,000 for illegally purchasing subsistence-caught Pacific halibut.

Cai Hu and Yao Hu, owners and managers of Zen Restaurant and Jaded Bar, will pay the fine over a year, according to a NOAA release.

Cai and Yao are equal partners in Yang Sing LLC, doing business as Zen and Jaded. They incorporated Yang Sing in 2008. It is currently in good standing with the state of Alaska.

Alaska Electric Light & Power didn’t dodge a bullet during a recent avalanche so much as deflect it.

The utility’s avalanche mitigation efforts paid off in early March when an installed diversion structure shunted a 30-year avalanche away from its 4/6 transmission tower.

“The dry blast from this avalanche was estimated to be a 3.5 out of 5 on the avalanche scale — termed medium to large — with the potential to occur every 30 years,” Debbie Ferreira, vice president and director of consumer affairs for AEL&P stated in a release.

Apple released its latest version of the popular tablet computer, the iPad, today. This version, dubbed iPad features a fist full of pixels in its new Retina display and faster broadband speeds with 4G connectivity.

Up until recently, Juneau residents would not have had access to the faster data transfer speeds provided by fourth generation cellular technology. AT&T has recently finished upgrades to its broadband service to provide 4G connectivity to customers in Juneau.

Most of the benefits of mining are well known: jobs, money and the refined metals U.S. industry needs. Many of the drawbacks are also known: physical danger, financial risk and environmental degradation.

What isn’t usually discussed is how mining can affect a community beyond its economic impacts.

During her noon presentation titled “Mining Works for Alaska: International Investment = Local Benefit,” Karen Matthias described the tangible and intangible effects of mining in Alaska.